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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26133673">A hard habit to break</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lastchancecafe/pseuds/lastchancecafe'>lastchancecafe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Schitt's Creek</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Husbands, M/M, Post-Canon, these boys need to communicate</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:48:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,000</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26133673</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lastchancecafe/pseuds/lastchancecafe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Patrick fights dirty. David fights like he has nothing to lose. They've both promised to do better for each other, but old habits are hard to break.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Patrick Brewer/David Rose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>88</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A hard habit to break</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Patrick fights dirty. Years of fighting with Rachel taught him how to push an issue like a bruise, finding the edges and digging in until it hurt. It wasn't a nice habit and he wasn't proud of it; he had promised himself things with David would be different. </p><p>David fights like he has nothing to lose. For so long that was the truth of his relationships and he’d never thought to try anything different. Since no one ever stayed he made sure they had a good reason to go. It wasn’t a healthy habit, he’d promised countless therapists he’d work on it; with Patrick, he had finally had</p><p>But old habits are hard to break.</p><p>_____________________</p><p>Patrick didn’t know what was wrong. Between their ever-expanding contract with the Rosebud Group and the never-ending projects at their cottage, he was on edge. He couldn’t settle down, couldn’t turn off his brain, couldn’t shake the discontent under his skin. </p><p>He was fine. </p><p>The extra paperwork was worth the fact that their store was turning profits he could have never dreamed of. The to-do list at the cottage was filled with hopes for their future. Here he was with his successful business and beautiful house, feeling annoyed that his lovingly attentive husband wasn’t the one in a funk. </p><p>Patrick was supposed to be the one who took care of things, he didn’t want to be taken care of. So he sat in his office, glaring at a spreadsheet, hiding from the problem he couldn’t name. </p><p>That was how David found him. He wrapped himself gently around Patrick’s shoulders pulling him to bed. </p><p>“David, you don’t need to hover."</p><p>“I just wanted to see if you needed anything,” Davids’s fingers danced across his shoulders, chasing his tension. </p><p>“If I needed something, I’d ask.” </p><p>“That looks like the sheet with all the vendor renewals, I thought we finished that last week?”</p><p>“If we’d finished it do you think I’d still be looking it over? Seriously you’ve said it before you <em> can’t </em>do this stuff, that’s why I’m always the one working late, going through all the paperwork.”</p><p>“Would we say <em>can’t?</em> I’ve been trying to help with more of the paperwork-”</p><p>“Like you helped last week by deleting half of the file?”</p><p>“You said that was an easy fix!”</p><p>Patrick’s found the edge now.  He pushes at it, looking for a reason to be mad.  “It’s fine, I’m used to cleaning up your messes.”</p><p>He can feel the moment David hears him, his gentle fingers freezing before slipping away. </p><p>“You don’t mean that.” The words whisper across his neck, soft but sure. </p><p>David’s right. Patrick wants to be mad about that too. </p><p>He doubles down, “yes, I do.”</p><p> </p><p>________________</p><p> </p><p>David doesn’t know what’s wrong. They’d settled into a comfortable routine, something he still can’t believe he appreciates. Between coordinating new vendor agreements and drawing up their plans for the cottage he’s been filled with so much joy. He couldn’t shake his perfect contentment with the life they’re building. </p><p>He was worried. </p><p>Here he was with a thriving business and a dream house, trying to tease out why his unnaturally positive husband was in a funk. </p><p>David was usually the one causing problems. Now he had been trying his best to fix them.</p><p>When he found Patrick in his office for the third night in a row he couldn’t ignore it any longer. Moving slowly he settled his fingers in the knots of Patrick’s shoulders wordlessly encouraging him to let care for him. </p><p>“David, you don’t need to hover”. </p><p>He can hear the edge in his husband’s voice, he knows something is bothering him, just below the surface. He kneads the knots a little more firmly, the touch keeping his own anxieties at bay. </p><p>“I just wanted to see if you needed anything-” Patrick cuts him off, frustration evident in his voice. </p><p>“If I needed something, I’d ask.”</p><p>David is not great with spreadsheets, but he recognizes the one open on Patrick’s laptop. It’s the vendor renewals they finished last week. He voices his concern as a question, hoping Patrick will give voice to what’s really bothering him. </p><p>He knows he’s pushing, but Patrick so rarely pulls away and David isn’t sure he can let him. </p><p>“If we’d finished it do you think I’d still be looking it over? Seriously you’ve said it before you <em> can’t </em>do this stuff.” </p><p>Pushing past the sting of <em> that </em> comment David soldiers on, “Well I’ve been trying to help you with more of the paperwork-”</p><p>Patrick cuts him off again. The bite in his words echoing refrains from David’s past. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> difficult...careless...useless </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“It’s fine, I’m used to cleaning up your messes.”</p><p>David draws a deep breath and pulls his hands back, twisting his fingers protectively as he speaks his truth. </p><p>“You don’t mean that.” </p><p>There’s hardly any volume but he manages to hold his voice calm, to keep his breath steady. Patrick’s response cuts through him. </p><p>“Yes, I do.”</p><p>David’s been pushed away a thousand times. Never once has it felt like this. Patrick isn’t like this. He grabs his husband’s jaw and forces his gaze. He sees the anger in Patrick’s stare but he won’t let himself look away. </p><p>Anger gives way to hurt then fear. Patrick’s eyes fill with tears and he tries to turn away. David holds steady. He traces his thumb across Patrick’s cheek, catching one of the tears that’s spilled over. That does it. Patrick collapses into his neck with a sob, covering him with desperate kisses.</p><p>“I don’t know what’s wrong! I just-everything is good and I-I don’t know why I can’t just be happy-” his voice is wet, pressing the words into David’s neck like a prayer. </p><p>This is new and yet achingly familiar territory for David. He’s used to doing the pushing in a fight, he knows Patrick is the same. They still have things to talk about but for now, It’s nice to finally have something to hold on to.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks to everyone at RA for sprinting with me as I struggled to get my word count under control. This wouldn't be here without all your pushing!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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